Container and lock



May 10, 1966 A. POGUE CONTANER AND LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 30, 1964 .HIIIIHH `IJ II\\ FII rlll /I 2* FIG.

May 10, 1966 A. POGUE 3,250,427

CONTAINER AND LOCK Filed March 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl G. 7

INVENTOR ALBERT POGUE F|G.9 GfK/g:

ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,250,427 CONTAINER AND LOCK Albert Pague, 411 E. 9th St., Roselle, NJ. Filed Mar. 36, 1964, Ser. No. 355,845 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-55.1)

This invention relates to a lock for use on a bottomhinged container which may be opened with or without a key. More specifically, it deals with a container having a bottom-pivoted forwardly-openable cover in which the body pivot seat has a slot wherein the fixed cover pivot may ride, and a lock inside of said cover co-acting with said slot.

There has developed a need for containers which may not be opened easily, so as to avoid entrance therein of children, for example, who may take poisonous medicines out of curiosity from containers such as medicine cases. Use of a locking feature which employs a manipulative sequence would eliminate this danger. Also, to avoid disclosure of the manipulation, it is desirable to employ a lock which may be opened with a key while in the presence of persons who should not discover the manipulative sequence.

According to the present invention, a container and lock are provided which are readily manufactured inexpensively, and which fulfill the aforesaid requirements. The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment is described, and in which FIGURE l presents a front view of a preferred container employing a lock of the present invention. FIGURE 2 illustrates a side view thereof. A side view thereof, with cover in open position, is shown in FIGURE 3. FIGURE 4 depicts a back view showing the inside of the upper portion of the cover, while FIGURE 5 shows a cross sectional side view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4. FIGURE 6 illustrates, in an enlarged view, the inner workings of the cover lock, as seen from the front with the cover, top housing, and lock cover plate removed. A side View of the upper portion of the cover lock is presented in FIGURE 7, while a side view of the lower pivoting portion of the container body is shown in FIGURE 8. FIGURE 8a shows a similar View of a slightly modified pivoting portion. FIGURES 9, 10 and l1 are schematic side views illustrating the sequence ernployed in opening the locked container, employing one type of slot, while FIGURES 12 and 13 are snnilar views employing another type of slot. Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again to the drawings, numeral 11 represents the hollow body of the container which may be attached to a wall 33, for example. This body has back 12, top 13 and sides 14. It will be noted that top 13 has a forwardly-projecting, downwardly curved lip 30. The bottom 15 may have a slightly arcuate shape. Shelves 15 and 16 may be inserted in the body to hold containers 31 of poisonous drugs, for example. At the bottoms of the sides, near the forward edges thereof, is

.a slot 17 which has a bottom generally vertically-disposed portion 17, and an upper generally vertically-disposed or slanted portion 17 positioned away from and connected with lower portion 17. The slot shown in FIG. 8 is somewhat in the shape of a reversed S.

Cover 18 has front face 19 carrying keyhole 20', bottom 21, which may be slightly arcuate in shape, sides 22 which are triangular in shape, and an upper rearwardly and downwardly disposed short lip 23 serving as the upper portion of cover face 19. A stop 32 may be provided as an extension of the bottom to prevent excessive downward movement of cover 18. At the apex of each of the two lower rearward angleslof the triangular sides of cover 3,250,427v Patented May 10, 1966 ICC 18, is a fixed pivot 24. These two pivots a-re designed to ride in slots 17, and they also serve as hinges for the cover.

Within the upper portion of cover face 19 is the lock, indicated generally by numeral 25, which lock is fastened onto face 19 by screws 26. Lock 25 is of conventional type, in that it employs a spring-loaded latch 27, using spring 28 (FIG. 6), which latch has rearwardly and downwardly disposed upper prongs 29 that are designed to slide under and engage behind lip l14 of body 11. Latch 27 may be lowered against the force of spring 28 by action of a key fitting into keyhole 20. The container may be locked by slamming cover 18 over body 11, whereupon latch 27 slides under and behind lip 14 of the body. Depressing latch 27 with a key enables opening of the cover, in which case, pivots 24 are in the positions shown in FIG. 9, in slots 17.

An important feature of the present invention is the opening of the container without a key. This is accomplished by requiring several separate movements of the cover to unlock it without a key. For example, such manipulation is effected by use of a slot 17 in the body sides 14 so as to be able to effect sliding therein of fixed pivot 24 disposed on the sides 22 of cover 18. In FIGS. 8a and 12-13, the slot 17 has a generally lateral portion 17a connected to a forwardly-disposed generally vertical portion 17h. Opening of the container is effected by first moving the bottom of cover 18 forwardly, then moving it upwardly, and finally pulling cover 18 downwardly and outwardly, as shown by the arrows in FIGS. 12-13.

When use is made of the slot shown in FIG. 8, cover 18 is first moved upwardly until pivot 24 reaches the part of slot portion 17 of the generally vertical slot 17. Then, the bottom portion of cover -18 is pulled forwardly along the central generally laterally-directed connection of slot 17 until the lower part of upper slot portion 17" is reached, after which, the cover 18 is pushed upwardly until pivot 24 reaches the upper terminus of upper slot portion 17 as in FIG. 10, at which point latch 27 is depressed against spring 28 upon contact with lip 14. Thereafter, the cover is given a downward and forward tug, whereupon the hook 29 of the latch slides over the bottom surface of arcuate lip 14 and disengages from lip 14, as in FIG. l1. The slot of FIG. 8 is thus more desirable when there is required an additional manipulation over that of FIG. 8a. l

In the event one desired the container to be opened by key only, then, all that need be done is to block the upper portions of slots 17.

I claim:

1. A lockable container, comprising,

a body portion having a back, a bottom, a top, and

sides, and a downwardly-curved lip projecting forwardly from the top,

a slot disposed in the lower forward portion of each side, said slot having a generally lateral portion, and a generally vertical upper portion disposed forwardly of said lateral portion,

a cover having a front face, a top and sides overlappin-g the corresponding body edges,

a fixed pivot disposed in the lower rearward apex of each side of said cover and mounted so as to ride in said slot,

a lock attached to the inside of said face adjacent the -top of said cover, and having a spring-loaded latch designed to be depressed by said lip and to engage behind same when in locking condition, in a manner such that when the cover is raised as the bottom thereof is moved forwardly the cover may be unlocked from said body by a forward and downward movement.

A lockable container, comprising,

`body portion having a back, a bottom, a top, and sides,

downwardly-curved lip projecting forwardly from the top, slot disposed in the lower forward portion of each side, said slot having a generally vertical lower portion, a generally lateral middle portion connecting rearwardly with the upper portion of said vertical portion, and a generally vertical upper portion connecting forwardly with the end of said lateral portion,

cover having a front face, atop, and generally triangular shaped sides overlapping the corresponding body edges,

xed pivot disposed in the lower rearward apex of each side of said cover and mounted so as to ride in said slot,

a lock attached to the inside of said face adjacent the References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1957 Motsinger 220-38 3/1964 Kagan 220-38 15 THERON E. CoNDoN, Primm-y Examiner.

G. T. HALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LOCKABLE CONTAINER, COMPRISING, A BODY PORTION HAVING A BACK, A BOTTOM, A TOP, AND SIDES, AND DOWNWARDLY-CURVED LIP PROJECTING FORWARDLY FROM THE TOP, A SLOT DISPOSED IN THE LOWER FORWARD PORTION OF EACH SIDE, SAID SLOT HAVING A GENERALLY LATERAL PORTION, AND A GENERALLY VERTICAL UPPER PORTION DISPOSED FORWARDLY OF SAID LATERAL PORTION, A COVER HAVING A FRONT FACE, A TOP AND SIDES OVERLAPPING THE CORRESPONDING BODY EDGES, A FIXED PIVOT DISPOSED IN THE LOWER REARWARD APEX OF EACH SIDE OF SAID COVER AND MOUNTED SO AS TO RIDE IN SAID SLOT, A LOCK ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF SAID FACE ADJACENT THE TOP OF SAID COVER, AND HAVING A SPRING-LOADED LATCH DESIGNED TO BE DEPRESSED BY SAID LIP AND TO ENGAGE BEHIND SAME WHEN IN LOCKING CONDITION, IN A MANNER SUCH THAT WHEN THE OVER IS RAISED AS THE BOTTOM THEREOF IS MOVED FORWARDLY THE COVER MAY BE UNLOCKED FROM SAID BODY BY A FORWARD AND DOWNWARD MOVEMENT. 